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International Science Treasury M3 Lee Mk1 & Stuart Mk1


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Hi All

 

While waiting for Plastic Putty to solidify on my Pup, I thought I'd have a diversion into the heavyweight forum.

 

Got these as part of a job lot, going to build straight out of the box and try out my Flow Improver!

IMG_20170801_201249.jpg

 

Lee has three sprues in a light coffee / toffee

IMG_20170801_202711.jpg

 

instructions translated in the style of Lewis Carroll, a small sheet of stickers (not decals or transfers, but peel off and stick on :blink:), and one and a half lengths of track...

IMG_20170801_202750.jpg

 

Hmm, out of the box you say?

 

Never mind, must have been a slow day at quality control.

 

Meanwhile, Stuart has three sprues in a light olive green

IMG_20170801_202940.jpg

(yeah, it looks the same colour as Lee, and yeah, that's a horse :unsure:)

 

the now apparently common Monty Python edition instructions, a small sheet of CBBC stickers, two full lengths of track, and a tube of what claims to be "368 KING OF GLUE"

IMG_20170801_203033.jpg

 

The King must have left the building, as the tube sounds and feels suspiciously empty, but that's neither here nor there in the grand scheme of things.

 

There may be sporadic updates here, or there may be a picture of two Science Treasury kits, a mash hammer, and spontaneous combustion.

 

Who can tell.

 

 

Comments and goodness knows suggestions most welcome

 

Cheers

Steve

 

 

 

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Hmm... I recently spotted some IST kits while looking for something - Looking at what you have there, I'm glad I didn't take the plunge and get any.

 

Certainly gonna be a challenge of the 'silk purse/sow's ear' order, I think. Plenty of weathering and a distracting diorama should do the trick. I look forward to seeing what you pull out of the hat with these.

 

Cheers

 

Kev

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48 minutes ago, modelman182 said:

I look forward to seeing what you pull out of the hat with these.

Hi Kev, if by "hat" you mean "bin bag", and by "pull out of" you mean "thrust to the bottom with considerable determination", then just you wait!

 

 

42 minutes ago, Silver Fox said:

They look like the old Hasegawa 1/72nd scale kits. The horseman with the Stuart is a tie in to a US comic book IIRC.

 

Helloo, what comic book would that be?

 

 

Cheers

Steve 

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i have compared both lee models together and whilst the ST kit is basicaly the hasegawa one the sprues are in fact different and some details are also different, can't remember what now sadly, the stuart and m4 high speed tractor are the same though as far as i can tell.

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Hi All

 

30 minutes ago, Das Abteilung said:

Those box arts certainly look like the old Hasegawa kits.  Hasegawa aren't renowned for mould-sharing or selling, so these might be reverse-engineered knock-offs

 

Hmm, reverse yes, engineered...

IMG_20170802_142304.jpg

 

IMG_20170802_142420.jpg

 

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If this is the standard, I don't hold out much hope for the rest of the build fit...

 

So.

 

What to do?

 

 

Comments and suggestions more than welcome

 

 

Cheers

Steve

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Good start to what appears to be a rather clunky kit. You have the barrel assembly upside down by the way.

That shorter tube runs under the 37mm barrel. It is most often depicted as a .30 cal MG barrel in illustrations. It is not, it is part of the gyro stabilization system sometimes fitted to the 37mm gun. 

 

Related image

 

G

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1 hour ago, ProfSparks said:

If this is the standard, I don't hold out much hope for the rest of the build fit...

 

So.

 

What to do?

 

 

Comments and suggestions more than welcome

Right, what you do is build it, paint it, then get a large piece of tissue, soak it in diluted pva glue and cover the model completely and stick a sign on it saying "Awaiting Restoration".

 

John. 

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To quote and old Scottish saying... "Jings, Crivens and Help Ma Boab!"

 

That's pretty awful. You're certainly within your rights to question the 'engineered' statement.

 

Suggestion - looks like they could be prime targets for a seriously 'burnt-out' diorama. Build them, hack out 'most' of what offends the eye (can't take it all, or you'd have nothing left, I suspect) and give them a hefty helping of mud and scorching, then maybe find a reasonable half track or staff car to be driving past them (either Allied or Axis) while they languish in the roadside ditches?

 

Kev

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Hi All

 

6 hours ago, Bullbasket said:

Right, what you do is build it, paint it, then get a large piece of tissue, soak it in diluted pva glue and cover the model completely and stick a sign on it saying "Awaiting Restoration".

 

John. 

Nice one John, thought you were going down the "get a large piece of tissue, soak it in lighter fluid and cover the model completely and set it alight" road. Yours is a much more grown-up outcome.

 

5 hours ago, modelman182 said:

Suggestion - looks like they could be prime targets for a seriously 'burnt-out' diorama. Build them, hack out 'most' of what offends the eye (can't take it all, or you'd have nothing left, I suspect) and give them a hefty helping of mud and scorching, then maybe find a reasonable half track or staff car to be driving past them (either Allied or Axis) while they languish in the roadside ditches?

 

Kev

Hi Kev, I've not done any mud or scorching, so these might well be ideal candidates to start on.

 

Anyhoo, here's where I'm at

IMG_20170802_212412.jpg

 

IMG_20170802_212454.jpg

 

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I predict a hefty course of filler for both, regardless of the eventual finished items.

 

 

On a side note, I'm finding postimage.org a huge improvement over Village Photo.

 

 

Comments, suggestions, and a bucket load of Milliput welcome

 

 

Cheers

Steve

 

 

 

 

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Well... they LOOK like tanks (kinda... ;))

 

I wouldn't use Milliput for filler on these, if I were you - far too valuable a resource for this kind of work. Look at getting some cheap car body filler from a discount store, that should do the job at much less cost.

 

Don't know if you use enamels or acrylics, but I've recently converted to Lifecolor acrylics and they do a couple of very nice paint sets that would be of use to the burned out dio idea ("Mud" Set LC-SPG05 & "Burned" Set LC-CS29). The Mud set contains three pots of paint (Northern Europe, Southern Europe and Red Dry Mud colours) and three pots of pigment which you can mix with the paint or a varnish to create 'clumps' of mud. The Burned set has six paints (a mix of White, Orange and Brown shades). They cost around £17 a set (depending on where you buy) and are available from several online retailers and some local hobby shops (mine stocks them, fortunately!). Just a suggestion, of course - I have no vested interest in Lifecolor.

 

Cheers

 

Kev

 

p.s. The Lifecolor colours work well with my flow improver (Liquitex Flow-Aid mixed at 15:1 water/flow aid)

Edited by modelman182
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Hi All

 

Thanks Kev, I'm using acrylics, mostly harvested from aircraft Starter or Gift Sets. This is my first AFV build, and I'm trying to keep it at minimum expenditure, other than the kit itself :huh:. (Is there a thread for "Foodstuffs And Other Items From Around The House Used In A Diorama"?)

 

4 hours ago, AgentG said:

^^ Most accurate comment yet^^

 

G

I suspect that this might be the most accurate part of ANY of this build :P

 

 

Anyhoo, the seams and associated caverns between ill fitting parts of the superstructure have been filled with Vallejo Plastic Putty, let's see how they fare after a nights rest.

 

Lee

IMG_20170803_101814.jpg

 

Stuart

IMG_20170803_104652.jpg

 

Ever get the feeling you're involved with the Minnion Movie?

 

 

Comments, suggestions and bananas welcome

 

Cheers

Steve

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi All

 

I came back to these, and am now calling it a day.

 

Apart from the poor molding, detail, and fit, the odd soapy quality of the plastic, the lack of decals, and the overall dire quality of the kit, I've others I'd like to build.

 

I didn't enjoy tackling any of the problems, but if anyone else out there does relish a challenge, these are for you.

 

Available for free, pm me and they're yours.

 

 

Cheers

Steve 

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